She gave him a shy smile. “It seems so. Are they? Greenhouses, I mean.”
“Yeah, you can call them that. Actually, they are poly houses. I grow flowers in them.”
Anya felt her heartbeat pick up in excitement. “How many flowers do you grow here?”
“Lots,” he said, opening the door to the Innova Crysta that stopped near them. Shaan had already loaded their luggage into the steel grey station wagon. Dev lifted Anya into the vehicle.
“Hey,” she said, grabbing his neck. “You didn’t have to do that.”
He settled her in the seat, buckling the belt around her, giving her a sunny smile. “I know, but I wanted to. How are you feeling?” he asked, handing her a bottle of chilled juice.
“I think I’m fine. I don’t think I must have travelled in such luxury, ever,” she smiled, looking into his dark grey eyes.
“How would you know?” asked Dev, his smile turning wider, his teeth gleaming in the noon sunlight.
“Call it a woman’s instinct,” she said with an answering smile. His cheerful mood seemed to have rubbed off on her.
Dev laughed, shutting her door before walking to the other side and getting in beside her. “That’s Ramu kaka,” he introduced the old man who was in the driver’s seat. “Ramu kaka, this is Anya, my friend.”
“Namaste Ramu kaka,” said Anya, catching the smiling old eyes in the rear view mirror as the driver nodded to her.
“Ramu kaka has been with our family since before I was born,” said Dev.
Anya listened as the two men chatted, her head comfortably settled on Dev’s shoulder as she closed her eyes.
It was barely ten minutes before the car stopped at the portico of the two-storey bungalow she had seen from the helipad. Anya opened her eyes to see a lovely structure, with a wraparound veranda both on the ground and first floors. “Is this your home Dev? It looks so serene and beautiful.”
“It’s your home too, Anya,” said Dev, getting out to open her door.
She protested when he would have lifted her again. “No Dev, let me walk. I’m stronger than before.”
“You sure?” he asked, a frown of concern on his face. She still looked pale.
“I promise to tell you if I can’t, okay?”
He nodded, placing an arm around her shoulder, to escort her into his home. “Daadima must be waiting for us.”
Anya gave him a worried look. “I hope she won’t mind your bringing a stranger home to stay.”
“Of course not...” They heard barking before he could finish what he was saying as four dogs came bounding towards them, their tails wagging vigorously.
Anya laughed, going on her knees on the ground, as they vied for her attention, licking her wherever they could reach. She placed her arms around two of them as the other two stepped on her thighs, wanting a cuddle too. “You cuties, you are so adorable,” she crooned, rubbing her cheek against a silky black head.
Dev felt a flash of envy when he saw her gesture. “That’s Tiger,” he said, pointing to a brown and white dog, “and that’s Blackie,” who was completely black with soulful brown eyes. “The black and white dog is Gillie and the fully brown female is called Brownie. They are all mixed breed, strays who found their way into the farm.”
“Oh, they look so healthy and are so friendly too.” Anya continued to sit on the ground, unable to get up as the dogs wanted her attention in turns.
“Enough now,” said Dev, whistling. The dogs immediately got off Anya to stand a couple of feet away, while their tails continued to wag. They looked at their master, as if awaiting further instructions. “I’m sure your lunch must also be served. Now go, all of you, time for food.”
They took an about turn and ran enthusiastically towards a kennel that was further away, obviously having understood what Dev had said.
Anya laughed, getting to her feet. “They are all so lovely,” she said, dusting her jeans.
Dev smiled. “Wait till you meet the cats. But let’s go meet Daadima and have lunch with her first.” They removed their shoes outside his home, before stepping inside in their socks. He guided her to a washroom, turning to the right wing when they crossed the threshold.
Anya looked at her reflection in the mirror above the washbasin. Her face looked flushed and happy. Yeah, she felt cheerful, especially after meeting the dogs. And Dev’s place was so lush and green, with so many trees. She would need to check them at leisure. She was sure she had noticed some mangoes hanging from the branches. Maybe, just maybe, she might find peace here.
Anya studied her reflection in the mirror critically, all the more as she was going to meet Dev’s grandmother. What would his grandma think of his guest? Her injury was not obvious from the front. The hair at the back of her head had been shaven as the doctor had needed to stitch up the cut on her scalp where she had hit her head. While hair had begun to grow, it still looked ugly. Anya knew as she had insisted on Nurse Saldana holding the hand mirror behind her head when she had checked herself out in the hospital bathroom mirror.
Anya quickly splashed water on her face and wiped it with a towel. Brushing her hair back, she straightened her shoulders. It was time to go meet Dev’s grandmother.
12
Stepping out of the bathroom, Anya looked at the inside of the house for the first time. Her jaw dropping, she stared at the open courtyard in the middle, with a wide corridor running around on the inside, parallel to the veranda opening into the compound. Carved wooden pillars surrounding the courtyard rose up from the floor all the way to the wooden beams two storeys above, on which the tiled roof was structured.
Bright sunlight shone on the rough, red sandstone flooring of the courtyard where flowering plants grew in abundance from where they were placed in huge ceramic urns.
“Come with me,” said Dev, appearing at her side and placing a hand at her elbow. They walked along the right fork of the square corridor surrounding the courtyard, moving towards the back where the matriarch of the family was sitting on a large, wooden swing that hung from the beamed rafters, her back straight, her keen eyes trained on their guest.
“Daadima, this is Anya Chhabria, and Anya this is my grandmother, Meena Wadhwa, my most favourite person on earth,” introduced Dev.
“Namaste aunty,” said Anya, looking at the old lady’s wrinkled face with a wary look in her brown eyes.
“Sindhi aahein?” Daadima asked Anya, a gentle smile on her face.
“Ji,” said Anya, a little of her nervousness fading away.
Daadima let out a merry laugh, patting the empty seat next to her on the swing. “Sindhi paryaan padra!” Daadima continued to laugh and Anya felt herself warming up to her.
“That’s so true, auntyji,” nodded Anya, sitting next to the old lady and giving her a soft smile, “One can definitely identify a Sindhi from afar.”
“Daadima loves to talk in Sindhi. But almost all the workers on the farm are locals, and she kind of misses conversing in her mother tongue.” Dev told Anya as he sat down on a comfortable chair placed nearby, out of the swing’s path.
“Dev tells me that you haven’t been keeping well,” said Meena, running a gentle hand over Anya’s taut and tense back. “Staying at the farm amidst the lush greenery will get you well soon, beta. And you must call me Daadima too,” she said in a gentle but firm voice.
Anya nodded mutely.
“Dev, will you ask Seema to serve lunch? I’m sure you both must be hungry.”
“It’s done Daadima. Seema aunty must be bringing the food out as we talk.”
Just then, Anya noticed a woman come out of a room, presumably the kitchen, which was on their right, and place two serving bowls on the dining table that was set on the other side of the courtyard.
“Come beta,” said Daadima, getting down from the swing. She looked diminutive compared to her tall grandson who was 6’2” in his socks. Even Anya appeared tall beside her, measuring 5’7”.
Dev walked between the two women, his arms around th
eir shoulders as they went to the dining table. He pulled the chair at the head for Daadima to sit, before pulling out the one on her right for Anya, her chair facing the courtyard. After she was seated comfortably, Dev went to sit on his grandmother’s left side, opposite Anya.
Anya stared at the riot of colours that splashed across the open courtyard. There were roses, hibiscus, oleanders, gerbera and carnations, in many shades. They were so pleasing to the eye. It must be such a joy living in this house.
They didn’t talk much as they tucked into the lunch of roti, chicken curry, mixed veg gravy and jeera rice. The food was spicy and yummy, accompanied by thick curds, slices of onion and roasted papad. Though she took only small helpings, Anya relished every bite she ate.
Sitting back to sip from her glass of water, Anya said, “Thank you so much Daadima, for having me here.” She managed to stop her voice from breaking with emotion, as she felt like a piece of driftwood in the middle of a stormy sea, with no memories to hold on to.
“Arre, not at all beta, you are welcome to make your home with us.” Meena had taken an instant liking to the waiflike woman who had walked into their home. And she could see that her grandson was completely enamoured by Anya. The old lady thought that maybe she could dare to dream of seeing her grandson finally getting married. He was almost thirty and refused to let anyone speak of his taking a bride. Meena couldn’t help but notice how Dev’s eyes followed Anya’s every movement.
“Ah!” Anya moved her chair away in a hurry when she felt something furry brush against her bare foot. She bent down to look under the dining table to see a fluffy ginger cat sitting comfortably on her left foot. “Oh my God! And who’s this?” she asked, gurgling with laughter. She bent down to stroke a light finger on the top of the feline’s velvety head.
Dev bent down to check before saying, “That’s Ginger, the lord of the manor.”
“You mean there’s a lady too?” asked Anya, giving the cat a good rub as he climbed up her leg to settle on her lap.
“Oh yes, and she’s delivered a litter of three kittens the day before yesterday,” said Meena.
“Kittens?” Anya gave Meena a dazzling smile, the first since she had entered their home. “Will the new mother let me near them?” she asked in awe.
“Why not?” smiled Meena indulgently, happy to notice that their guest obviously loved animals. “Dev, Kitty is settled on the top floor of the dog’s kennel along with her little ones. Why don’t you take Anya over to see the lot? And Anya, would you like to name the kittens?” asked grandma.
“Oh, may I?” squealed Anya in delight.
“Later,” said Dev firmly. “You need to have your medicines and take some rest first, Anya.”
“Please Dev,” said Anya. “After we see the kittens?”
Dev shook his head. “Dr. Adnani made me promise that I’d take good care of you. Only on that condition did he allow your discharge from the hospital. I’m sure the cats must all be fast asleep now, in the middle of the day,” he insisted. “They will wake up to play after five. You rest for some time and then I promise to take you to see them first thing after you wake up,” he said firmly.
Anya pouted at him, not protesting as she felt tired suddenly. “You’re right. I feel beat,” she said.
“Here, give Ginger to me,” said Meena, lifting the sleeping cat from Anya’s lap lovingly. “I’m also going to take a nap. Will catch up with you later in the evening Anya. You take rest.”
Anya got up from her chair and clutched the table when she swayed on her feet. Dev was beside her the very next second, lifting her up in his arms. “Chalo, nap time,” he said, nodding to his grandmother, before walking towards the staircase near the entrance.
Anya didn’t protest as she locked weak arms around his neck, her head falling back against his chest. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.
“For what?” asked Dev, an indulgent smile on his face as his heart swelled with emotion.
“That you have to carry me around. I promise to get well soon, Dev.”
“I like holding you in my arms, Anya,” said Dev in a whisper, his lips brushing against her ear as he reached the first floor. He walked down the left corridor that had a wooden railing on the right, looking down on the plant-filled courtyard. Not that Anya really noticed much as he went to the third doorway that lay open. He walked in to place Anya down on the four-poster bed. He took her medicines out of the small pouch that was placed on a side table. Removing three pills on his palm, he took a glass of water and made the half-asleep Anya swallow them. He patted her back to ensure that they had all gone down before letting her lie down on her pillow.
“Do you want me to help you out of your jeans?” he asked solicitously.
“Hmm...” She stared at him uncomprehendingly, her eyes open barely a slit.
Dev smiled, bending down to kiss her on her petal soft cheek. “Go to sleep,” he ordered, removing her belt before pulling a thin comforter over her.
She was fast asleep even before he stepped out of the door. He left the double door open, just in case she called out, before going down the staircase.
Meena was waiting for her grandson, sitting on the swing, with Ginger curled up on a cushion beside her.
“Dev,” she called, as he was about to step out of the house.
“Daadima,” he said, changing direction and walking towards her, “I thought you were going to sleep.”
She smiled, “Yes, of course, after my lunch settles down. Has Anya gone to sleep?”
“Yeah, she’s out like a light.” A soft smile lingered on Dev’s face as he thought of Anya.
“You like her.”
Dev grinned at his grandmother. “You were always smart, Daadima. Why do you think I insisted that you come to live with me?” he said, hugging her.
Meena laughed. “Do I dream of a wedding soon?”
The smile disappeared from Dev’s face. “Wedding toh door ki baat hai. I don’t know, Daadima,” he sighed, “Anya’s suffering from memory loss. She can’t recall anything from before the day she opened her eyes in the hospital. You know what that means, right? She doesn’t even recognise her parents or friends or colleagues. Nothing! A lot of healing needs to happen. A life partner is the last thing she will want at this point in life.”
“Oh!” Meena’s eyes widened in horror, “The poor child. No wonder she doesn’t smile much. It must be terrible, not remembering anything. But Dev, where’s her family? Do they know that she’s unwell?”
A deep sigh shuddered from Dev’s wide chest. “She’s an only daughter Daadima. Her parents know, but I’m not sure that they really care enough. Suffice to say, she’s better off staying with us.”
“How can you say that, Dev? They must be worried silly,” said Meena in a scolding voice.
“Daadima, you can say that after knowing your son and daughter-in-law?” he looked at her with accusing grey eyes that had turned stormy.
Meena sighed. Her grandson was referring to his own parents. They had disowned him when he decided to become a farmer. That was a little more than five years ago. Since two years, after reading about his success stories in newspapers and magazines, Dev’s parents wanted to make their peace with him. But he was too angry to care. When he bought the farm at Karjat, it was Meena who had given him her blessing and had agreed to move in with him when he requested her to. Dev had always been close to his grandmother more than his parents. His siblings—mixed twins Jai and Chaahat—were seven years younger to him. He hadn’t got very close to them as they were comfortable in each other’s company. It had always been Daadima he spent time with. Their family lived in Mumbai, but he hadn’t bothered to contact any of them during his stay there the last week.
Meena placed a pacifying hand on her grandson’s stiff shoulder. “Not all parents are the same, Dev. What if Anya’s parents love her? They must be concerned for her.”
Dev gave a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “No Daadima, they are no different from mom and dad. Yo
u don’t want to know.” He got up suddenly. “I’ll go check what’s happening at the farm, Daadima. It’s been more than a week.” He waved to her and left.
13
It was a week since Anya had moved into Dev’s home. She had spoken to Farhan a few times, assuring him that she was fine. Well, she was, if she didn’t think about her past, or rather the time of her life that was a blank canvas.
Dev’s grandmother was a loving woman and treated Anya like her own granddaughter. Dev accompanied her on short walks in the evening and did his best, which was a lot, to spend time with her despite his busy schedule.
Actually, Anya felt like a princess as she was waited on hand and foot at every turn. There were six families working on the farm, who also lived in their own houses, built for them by Dev. There was also a bachelor home of sorts where twelve young men had their accommodation. The people who worked on the farm also took care of the housework. There was Seema who made the meals for the family. Her husband Dharmesh worked as a supervisor on the farm while their children went to a boarding school in Panchgani, all thanks to their boss. Anya got to know the people one by one. She learned to smile more as she created new memories that were also truly happy ones.
Just now she was at the kennel, watching Kitty feeding her three kittens. While the wooden structure was four feet tall and could comfortably house a dozen dogs, the cat had taken over the small loft that had been built into the structure for that very purpose. The little ones had just opened their eyes since that morning. Anya knelt on the floor, watching them with a smile of pure joy on her face. One, a male, was pure ginger, same as its father, she presumed. Anya called him Jupiter. She called the grey one with a white belly Venus, as it was a female and the charcoal coloured kitten was named Mars, another male.
Dev laughed out loud when he heard the names for the first time, his teeth gleaming in the early evening sunlight. “Such big names for these tiny ones,” he teased.
Anya wrinkled her nose at him. “They will grow big, won’t they?!”
“I suppose you have a point there. And how did you come up with those names in the first place?” he asked curiously.
Flaming Sun Collection 3: Perfect Twins Find Anya (Box Set with 3 novellas) Page 16